Category: Ecuador

The Quilotoa Loop: an epic, multi-day trek deep in back-road country. Here, you’ll find breath-taking landscapes where the full beauty of mother nature is revealed. Small villages where life goes on as it has for hundreds of years. And a volcanic crater lake which locals swear has no bottom: the Continue Reading

Let’s be clear: the Chugchilán to Quilotoa leg of the Quilotoa Loop is by far most difficult. And the previous legs (Sigchos to Isinlivi and Isinlivi to Chugchilán) are already full-day hikes themselves. So, what can you expect? You’ll cover at least 13km (8 miles) It will take you at least Continue Reading

If you hike the Quilotoa Loop counterclockwise, like we did, you’ll go from Isinlivi to Chugchilan. And from Chugchilan to Isinlivi if you do it clockwise, naturally. So after getting thoroughly lost two days before and enjoying a low-key day-trip the day after that, we finally hit the road again. Continue Reading

Most hikers on the Quilotoa Loop spend one night at each village on the way. But the great thing about the Loop is that it’s self-guided, so you’re free to linger as long as you want. If you have the time, there are plenty of things to do in Isinlivi. Continue Reading

We had been walking for 45 minutes and had absolutely no idea where we were. Our plan had been to follow the signs from Sigchos to Isinlivi, but those signs were extremely few and far between. At every junction, we had a debate about which way to go. But in Continue Reading

“You’re travelling alone? Aren’t you scared??” The friendly woman on the cramped Colombian minibus looked shocked. She shuddered. “I would never do that.” Having been a solo female traveller for 7.5 months in Ecuador and Colombia, I got such questions a lot, especially from friends and family. It’s particularly disconcerting Continue Reading

There are a ton of museums in Quito, Ecuador. With time in short supply, we inevitably have to prioritise and accept that we can’t see everything. Museo del Carmen Alto and Casa del Alabado are two of the lesser-known museums in Quito, and in my opinion only one of them Continue Reading

Many travellers I met in Ecuador and Colombia gave northern Ecuador a miss. And I get it – you’re on a budget, time is tight, you gotta prioritise. Or maybe you’re just thinking about visiting Otavalo on a day-trip from Quito. Actually, there is plenty to keep you occupied – Continue Reading

Industrialisation has been a boon for us in so many ways. But we’re paying a heavy price for it, as well. All over the world, age-old traditional ways of doing things – by hand, from scratch – have been slowly forgotten. Backstrap weaving Backstrap weaving is one of these dying Continue Reading

Museo Otavalango Some people will tell you never to visit the same place twice. “The world is so big and life is so short, why waste time revisiting?” I don’t subscribe to that point of view at all. Life is so short – sometimes your time is better spent returning Continue Reading